Often, when connecting equipment together in the field of information systems, it is necessary to connect cables having connectors to other connectors or to a board having a large number of pins to enable proper communication along the cables from one device to another. It is also necessary to connect power cables between different devices within the information system. One example of such a connection is between a computer peripheral and a main or host computer, such as a personal computer.
A problem encountered when making such connections is that of ensuring that the connector leading from a peripheral component is connected properly to the opposing connector, or to the pins on a board to which connection is sought. Possible errors in effecting such a connection include, failure to make conductive contact, error in linear placement of the peripheral""s connector so as to be off by a row, by a pin, having the connector rotated a half turn from its proper position, or a combination of these errors. A variety of peripheral components including those having I.D.E. (Integrated Drive Electronics) interfaces and connectors may be subject to such connection problems.
Typically, in the prior art, once a system is powered up with an improperly connected component, the main system, such as a personal computer, will not work because the main computer bus has been corrupted. Computer owners may be tempted to begin dismantling their equipment to look for the problem, or call a customer support line to seek resolution of the problem, both of which are time consuming approaches. Further, the user may well not know whether the connection of the peripheral is the cause of the computer malfunction since the computer as a whole is not working. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to connect cables may result in damage to the computer or to a peripheral component in the form of broken connection pins, improper connections of power supplies to ground, and improper connections of high voltage levels to delicate circuits.
One prior art approach to dealing with possible unsuccessful connection of computer equipment is to prepare diagrams for customer use to show how each connector is to be attached. The diagram may leave open the possibility of the connector being attached in a position reversed from its proper position without it being obvious in comparison to a view shown on the diagram. Further, this approach can only provide guidance to the user prior to connection. Once a faulty connection is made the diagram offers no assistance in correcting the connection.
Another approach to preventing incorrect connection is to use a colored coating on a portion of cable insulation leading up to a connector. A problem here is that, while the color identification may aid the user in correctly identifying a particular pin on the connector, the part to which the connector will be attached, such as a motherboard, may not have color identification to match that on the connector. As with other prior art methods, this approach only helps the user prior to making the connection.
Yet another prior art approach to dealing with the problem of incorrect peripheral to host connection involves physically keying a connector such that it fits into its intended position more readily in one position and orientation than any other. A problem with this approach is that, often, a keyed connector can be inserted incorrectly by applying force. As with the other prior art approaches discussed, this approach can only help the user make the connection correctly in the first place. If the user misses the queue provided by the keying on the connector, and believes the connection to have been properly made, the keying is of no use in guiding the user in identifying the source of a subsequent computer malfunction.
In all the approaches discussed above, a computer malfunction resulting from an improper connection of a peripheral device, including devices with IDE interfaces, and a main computer system, will likely lead to considerable expenditure of time to find and resolve the error, a need to call a customer support line which may be quite costly, and possibly to a user meddling with parts of the computer system which have not malfunctioned, potentially causing further problems.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method for correcting improper connections between computers and peripheral devices in a time and cost effective manner.
There is a further need in the art for a system and method for enabling computer users to correct incorrect peripheral connections in a self-sufficient manner, that is, without the need to contact a customer support line.
There is a still further need in the art for a system and method for specifically identifying how a peripheral has been improperly connected to a computer after connection has been made.
There is a still further need in the art for a system and method which will provide information to enable a user to correct an incorrect connection between a computer and peripheral device after the connection has been made.
These and other objects, features and technical advantages are achieved by a system and method which allows signals to be sent along the communication lines between the computer and peripheral device thereby enabling the computer and/or peripheral device to determine whether there is an error in the connection between the two, and if such error exists, to identify the nature of the error and the required corrective action. The host and/or peripheral device may also check for the presence and location of conductive lines with specific hardware electrical characteristics, such as connection to ground, to determine the placement of the connector in relation to the desired correct position.
In a preferred embodiment, after connection is made between a peripheral device and a host computer, software running on the host computer transmits identifying signals along at least one conductive line of the host-peripheral connection, with specific signals being associated with specific pins and specific wires attached to said pins. The peripheral device acts to monitor the signals coming in on the various communication lines to determine whether the signals detected on the various communication lines are located where they are expected or not.
If the signals coming into the peripheral device are correctly located, the peripheral communicates this fact back to the host which can then appropriately communicate this fact to a user. If the signals coming into the peripheral are incorrectly located, the peripheral device compares the location at which the signals are found to the location known to be correct for the various signals, and thereby determines the actual location of the connector in relation to its desired location. For example, assuming that the pins along one side of a inline connector are numbered so as to skip numbers, such as 1, 3, 5, etc., if the signals expected on lines 3, 5, and 7, appeared on lines 5, 7, and 9, respectively, the peripheral device would determine that the connector was misplaced by one pin location along the length of the connector. In a similar manner, the peripheral device would determine if the connector was misplaced by a row and/or column, reversed, or combinations thereof.
After determining the relative location error, if any, of the connector at the host location, the peripheral device would determine the required corrective action to place the connector in the right place, and communicate this information to the user. Communication of the connection status from the peripheral device to the user may be accomplished directly though the use of a display device (such as an LCD or a plurality of LEDs) attached directly to the peripheral device (such as a hard drive or CD-ROM), or communicated to the host computer which in turn would display the error and correction information to the user.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the signals used to identify the correctness of the connection between the computer and peripheral could be generated by the peripheral device, and received by the host computer. The host would perform the same analysis on the incoming data as described above in connection with the peripheral device to determine whether there is an error in the connection, and if so, the precise nature of that error. The host computer, having the connection error information, would then be able to directly inform the user of the connection error and of the corrective action needed.
In another alternative preferred embodiment, the communication between the peripheral device and the host computer could be monitored by a third hardware device such as a monitoring device, which is able to receive the transmitted diagnostic signals as inputs, and performs the above described analysis to determine whether a connection error exists. The monitoring device then transmits the information to the host computer for display to the user.
In another preferred embodiment, the peripheral device would determine the correctness or error of its connection to the host computer by detecting the electrical characteristics of the various electrical lines. The electrical characteristics which could be checked include, but are not limited to ground connections, power connections, non-connections (open circuits), short circuit connections, and logic lines. The peripheral device could also measure the voltage, current, resistance, impedance, inductance, and/or capacitance instantaneously present on a line to determine the identity of that line. The peripheral device would check to see if selected communication lines have the characteristics that they are expected to have. If the measured characteristics of the lines match the expected characteristics, then the peripheral concludes that the connection to the host is proper, and communicates this information to the host. If there is a mismatch between the expected and measured electrical characteristics, the peripheral device determines that the connection is faulty, identifies where the connector resides in relation to its correct position and the required corrective action, and communicates this information to the host.
Alternatively, the peripheral device could establish the electrical characteristics of the conductive lines, and the host computer could detect the location of particular characteristics on particular lines.
In an alternative embodiment, the inventive device may be able to correct for a misaligned connection without the user having to take corrective physical action depending upon the nature of the misalignments. For example, if the cable has been connected in an orientation which is rotated 180 degrees from its correct alignment, the device may reroute the lines to the appropriate pins on the device""s controller. This embodiment may also detect short circuit and open circuit conditions on the cable and connectors arising from either missing or bent pins.
For each of the embodiments of the invention, the host will have or will acquire the information regarding any incorrect placement of the connector and information required to correct such positioning error, and communicate this information to the user.
Therefore, it is an advantage of the present invention that improper connections between computers and peripheral devices can be corrected in a time and cost effective manner.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that it enables computer users to correct improper connections between a computer and peripheral devices in a self-sufficient manner.
It is a still further advantage of the present invention that the nature of an incorrect connection between a computer and a peripheral device can be specifically identified.
It is a still further advantage of the present invention that, rather than merely guiding a user in attaching a connector properly in the first place, the invention enables the user to correct an erroneous connection after such connection has been made.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.